"You do understand that Missy's not going to like you getting involved with someone from another Pride. At least not without a trade contract."

"Our contract involves the kids and the kids only."

"I'm not arguing. Just letting you know. And there's some slight whining in there because I'll have to hear about it. Constantly."

Blocking his daughter's tiny fist from making contact with his eye, he asked, "It sounds like she's still raging over Mace and his Bronx m'lady."

Allie laughed at his use of "m'lady" in a sentence. "Oh yeah. She's still raging all right. Besides, we're down to two males now. Petrov's gone. You're gone. And Mace won't let her trade him out for more. Her life is in shambles." Allie rolled her eyes. "Personally I could care less. Little Miss Evil Kitty over there"-she pointed at her daughter-"is more than enough trouble at the moment. I certainly don't need to add to it with another cub until she's a tad older."

"Makes sense." Brendon picked up his son and placed him on his knee, ignoring the teeth he sank into his forearm. "But Missy needs to understand, I won't let her use my kids as leverage against me."

Allie shook her head. "I won't let that happen, Brendon. I'm not saying she won't try, but I won't let her get away with it." She smiled at him. "I like you. You irritate me much less than most males. Besides, our darling little brat will rip my long silky locks out if I ever try to get between her and her daddy."

"And Serita?"

"Missy will be lucky if Serita doesn't start her own Pride. They've been fighting like two cats in a bag lately. Besides, we both know she can't use the kids. We all read that contract we signed. It's quite airtight."

"Damn right it is." Three high-priced lawyers who specialized in shifter law and his sister made sure of that.

"I don't blame you at all," she said with a sigh, leaning back into the lounger and staring up at the ceiling. "Nothing is sadder than an old Pride lion who hasn't seen his cubs for decades." Like his dad hadn't seen Mitch.

Allie yawned, her eyes fluttering closed. "You coming out to dinner with us, Brendon? We have reservations at that new sushi place uptown. The chef is supposed to be a god."

He'd rather remove body parts before sitting through some overpriced nouveau riche meal with Missy. But before Brendon could state that out loud, his cell phone went off. He checked caller ID and answered. "Yes?"

"Hello, sir. It's Timothy."

"I know. I checked caller ID." After eight years as his personal assistant, one would think Timothy would already know that about his boss. "What's going on?"

"I received a message from Louise." Louise had been Brendon's secretary longer than Timothy had been his assistant. "You wanted me to check the local hotels and find a Smith Pack?"

"Yeah. Did you get something?"

"Sir, they're here."

"Here? You mean in New York?"

"No. I mean at the Kingston Arms. They've been checked in for more than a week under the name...uh...Sissy Mae Smith."

Brendon stared at the wall, completely oblivious to his daughter gripping his hair and hanging from his head like a monkey.

"You're sure?"

"Yes, sir. I even went and checked the other hotels in the Tristate area that cater to your"-Timothy cleared his throat-"kind, because Smith is such a common name, but the only Smith Pack I could locate is at this hotel."

Letting out a deep breath, Brendon grinned. "Good work."

"Do you need me to do anything else, sir?"

"No. I should be back at the hotel in a few."

"Yes, sir."

Brendon ended the connection. "I've gotta go."

Without opening her eyes, Allie smiled. "Figured."

After unattaching his daughter from his hair, Brendon swung her around in his arms and kissed her neck, then kissed the top of his son's head. "Both of you be good."

"Don't forget," Allie reminded him, "we're heading out tomorrow to Grandmother's property in Sag Harbor for the New Year."

"Okay. I'll come over in the afternoon to send you off."

He put his children beside Allie and opened the solarium door. The arguing hit him in the face. It would take time to get his sister to back off. Time he wasn't in the mood to give.

"When she's done, tell my sister I went back to the hotel."

Allie opened one eye and stared at Brendon. "You're leaving her here?"

"I don't feel like dragging her out. I'll even leave the car. I'll catch a cab."

Laughing, Allie closed her eyes again. "Okay. But neither your sister nor Missy will be happy. So I hope whoever she is, she's worth it."

Oh, she was.

A good long sleep and a little worshipping of the porcelain god, and Ronnie felt much better. Although she still didn't feel like hanging out tonight and she didn't know how the rest of the She-wolves were managing it.

Big dinner plans and some club hopping for the whole Pack, courtesy of Bobby Ray. He even tried to drag poor Mace and Dez into it, but from the end of the conversation Ronnie heard, Mace had no intention of getting out of his bed anytime soon as long as Dez was in it.

Ronnie smiled when she thought about the two of them. They were a cute, if unlikely, couple. And she loved the panic in Dez's eyes every time she caught Mace staring at her like he could simply eat her alive. The man was in love. No two ways about it and nothing Dez did or didn't do would change that so she might as well suck it up. So to speak.

The Pack stood in front of the hotel's front desk. At some point they would find permanent dens, and that search would be down to the females. Until then, they would continue to enjoy the luxury of the Kingston Arms.

Bobby Ray retrieved another stack of business papers from the desk staff. He and Mace had already hired a lawyer and apparently Sissy Mae had started working with realtors for a big-enough space to house their office. Clearly Mace and Bobby Ray weren't men to waste time on "what if"s xand analyzing. They just went for it. Ronnie liked that.

"Are you sure you don't want to go?"

Glancing down at the pile of legal papers Bobby Ray had shoved into her arms and the ripped, seen-better-days cutoff shorts, scuffed and decades-old cowboy boots, and the worn Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt that once belonged to her daddy, Ronnie shrugged. "I know this is the perfect outfit for the thirty-degree weather we have outside, but I think I'll stay in."

"You don't have to be a smart-ass. I was just askin', Ronnie Lee."

Feeling bad for sniping at him, she pushed her shoulder against Bobby Ray's. "Sorry. But I blame your sister for my cranky attitude."

"Told you not to go drinking with her anymore."

"I know. I know. But she's so persuasive." Ronnie Lee juggled the papers in her hands and reached out and yanked Sissy Mae's hair.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For leading me down the path of sin and drunkenness."

"Looked to me like you were gettin' there fine all on your own."

Bobby Ray slammed another four thick envelopes filled with papers from his lawyer on top of the pile she already carried. "Just drop these off in my room when you go back up."

"Sure."

"If you need us, we all have our cells." Bobby Ray frowned. "And why did management call me about your ripping the phone out of the wall?"

"It wouldn't stop ringing."

Shaking his head, Bobby Ray turned to one of the other males, and Ronnie focused on Sissy Mae. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Remain so perky and fun loving after a drinking bout like the one we had last night?"

"Easy. I take a couple of aspirin before I go to sleep."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"So my momma's right. You are Satan."

"Can't prove it."

Ronnie started to laugh until the scent hit her. That big delicious cat scent that three days ago she would have sworn she'd never like, much less lust over.

Swallowing her slight case of panic, Ronnie Lee reminded herself she was a Reed and she wouldn't go running because of some cat. Besides, he'd forgotten all about her. Right? No use making a fool over herself for a male who wouldn't even remember her.

Determined to stand her ground, Ronnie watched Shaw stride into the hotel lobby, looking amazing in a thick cable-knit forest-green sweater, faded blue jeans, and scuffed work boots. As soon as he appeared staffers came from everywhere, demanding his attention and asking him to sign things. He dismissed all but one with a wave of his hand. She had a feeling the much smaller man, a full-human, walking with him to the front desk was Shaw's personal assistant. Lord in heaven, the man has a personal assistant.

She held her ground until he stood no more than forty feet from the Pack, then she panicked. Ducking her head, Ronnie took a step back. Sissy Mae glanced over and abruptly moved in front of Ronnie, blocking her from Shaw's sight. That was the one thing Ronnie did love about Sissy. She'd give her shit later about being a wimp, but she'd protect Ronnie now, no questions asked.

Lord, but did she need that.

To her growing horror, Shaw stopped beside the Pack and glanced up from the paperwork his assistant had shoved into his hands. He looked at Bobby Ray and she started to step away, run really, but Sissy grabbed her shirt and held her in place. Smart woman. As predator, Shaw would immediately notice a female sprinting out of the room.

Knowing something was going down, both Marty and Gemma stood beside Sissy Mae, further blocking Ronnie from Shaw's sight.

"Your Mace's friend, right?" Shaw asked. "From the tunnels the other night."

"Yup," Bobby Ray answered back...eventually. Bobby Ray didn't believe in rushing much of anything. Especially words.

"Thanks for that."

"Welcome."

She silently sighed. Males.

Shaw turned to say something to his assistant, and Sissy gave Ronnie a shove to move her from the room. Perfect timing.

Ronnie sprinted to the elevator and repeatedly mashed the call button. "Come on," she begged. "Come on."

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the elevator doors slid open and Ronnie rushed inside. She juggled the big manila folders and papers in her hands so she could push the button for her floor. Once it lit up, she leaned back against the wall and let out a sigh of relief when the doors began to close.

But when that big hand reached in and slapped itself against one of the big metal doors to stop it from closing, she barely stopped herself from letting out a yelp of surprise. Ronnie pushed herself up against the wall and held her breath as Brendon Shaw walked onto the elevator with his assistant.

"Comp them for their rooms."

"Sir?"

"Did I stutter?"

"Not usually, sir."

"And make sure they have everything they need while they're here."

"Yes, sir. And your sister called."

"What did she want?"

Ronnie glanced up at the numbers and willed the floors to go by faster.

"Um..." The assistant glanced at her. "It can wait, sir."

"Timothy, spit it out."

He shrugged. "She just said, 'Tell him bite me.'"

Instead of being angry, Shaw let out a deep laugh. He had a nice laugh. Low and real. She liked it.

"She's pissed at me. I left her alone with Missy Llewellyn."

"I'd be mad at you, too, sir," Timothy joked, laughing right along with his boss until the elevator stopped on the twenty-fourth floor. "I'll be here late, sir, if you need me for anything."

"No. Don't be here late. Go home and see your...uh..."

Smirking, Timothy asked, "My boyfriend, sir?"

"Yeah. Whatever. Can't we just call him Frank?"

Now grinning, Timothy stepped off the elevator. "If you say so, Mr. Shaw."

"I do. Go home. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night, sir."